When I look back on the past four years, I see the mountains and I see the valleys.
I see the job changes and financial struggles. I see my marriage being molded and shaped. I see family, diagnoses, weddings, babies. I see change in culture, politics, technology. I see the highest of highs, the birth of our son. And the lowest of lows, the postpartum depression and suicidal thoughts that followed.
Through all the change, there’s a lot of consistency, too.
Our community. My small group. Our church. Our people. Our zip code. Trends, traditions, and ideals.
But there’s an unfortunate consistency too. My utter lack of discipline.
I can only smile reading my post that accompanied the 2016 reading plan. I was so ambitious and confident and believed so intensely in the calling.
But. I lost focus.
Believed the lies that no one wanted to hear me. I got behind, and was marred in shame that I had made this big public proclamation about the Word of God changing our lives, and I fell off the train in… March. The messages you sent me about it, asking if there would be more, going through the Word together… only increased my shame and I built the long road between me and what I truly believed God had called me to.
I don’t know what 2020 holds. I feel that my “word” going into this next year is Yes and Amen, which is about as vague and as hopeful as it gets. I went through so much change in 2019. My body, my mind, and my soul are craving discipline, routine, and consistency. I believe that my yes and amen to is to that. I hope that my “I agree and let it be” will look a lot like more freedom by 2021 because of it.
While I don’t know what my future, or even this blog, looks like, at the very minimum and yet in the biggest way, I am going to say Yes and Amen to God’s word. Reminding myself of why I need it and praying so so earnestly that maybe if I create it, I have to follow through.
I will read at night. I will read in the morning. I will read on my phone during my lunch break. I am freeing myself from the thought that there is a right and wrong way to approach this. God’s already there, so whatever route I take will be the perfect one for Him and me.
So 2020 comes with no promise from me, but I would like to offer this to you again. The format is similar and I’ll be following along with you.
Monday – Friday, there are 3 pieces of Scripture, all of which should take no longer than 30 minutes to read. 1 from Old Testament, 1 from the Wisdom Literature, 1 from the New Testament. We’ll repeat a few books throughout the year.
Saturdays and Sundays will only have 1 scripture assignment between them, allowing for catch up and for you to live out the Sabbath as you want to.
Download the whole year, or half years. If you need different formatting, just let me know!
2020 Bible Reading Plan
2020 Bible Reading Plan – Jan – June
2020 Bible Reading Plan – June-Dec
Here’s to a new decade!